There’s a good reason we use the expression “Pain in the neck” to describe something annoying — at the best of times, neck pain is annoying. At the worst of times, neck pain can severely limit your life.
Unfortunately, neck pain is prevalent — about 203 million people around the world reported neck pain in 2020 alone, and about 13% of adults in the United States have ongoing neck pain.
While being in good company regarding neck pain may be comforting, this safety in numbers doesn’t relieve the discomfort. We turn to the experienced spine health experts at Texas Spine Consultants — Dr. Michael Hennessy, Dr. Chester Donnally, Dr. Heidi Lee, Dr. Andrew Park, and Dr. Robert Viere.
It’s tough when the first thing to greet you in the morning is neck pain. If this happens frequently, it’s time to look hard at how you sleep. For example, if you sleep on your stomach, you crank your cervical spine into an unnatural position, which can lead to neck pain in the morning. So, sleeping on your back or side is an excellent place to start your neck pain prevention efforts.
Also, consider swapping your pillow for one that doesn't crank your head up — you want one that keeps your entire spine in alignment.
We know it’s called a laptop, but working on a computer in your lap isn’t doing your neck any favors. And that goes for all of your screens, including that phone in your hand.
Americans spend more than 7 hours each day looking at screens, and they’re often looking down at the screen. And for every inch your head moves forward, you’re placing an extra 10 pounds of pressure on the support tissues in your neck.
One of the best ways to combat neck pain is to ensure that your screens are at eye level. So, hold that phone high, get your laptop out of your lap and onto a desk, and raise all monitors to eye level.
People tend to lug around a lot, from huge backpacks kids use at school to handbags full of everyday needs. Carrying heavy bags can strain your neck, so be mindful of switching your shoulder carrying and look into using bags you can strap around your waist. You can also use a backpack and two arm supports rather than one, which spreads out the workload and keeps your shoulders back.
If your neck pain is chronic, it’s best not to grit your teeth and soldier through. At the first signs of trouble, we want you to come to see us so that we can identify the source of your pain and work quickly to counteract it.
For degenerative issues like arthritis and stenosis, we can start with quick-and-easy interventional injections that relieve pain and inflammation in your cervical spine.
If your neck pain is caused by soft tissue strain, we can use trigger point therapy and physical therapy.
Our team also excels in surgical solutions for neck pain, so we have you covered for almost every type and degree of neck problem.
Between our efforts through targeted treatments and the steps you take at home, we feel confident that we can find the solutions you need to address — and eliminate — your neck pain.
To put neck pain in the rearview mirror, you can start by making an appointment at one of our offices in Addison, Cedar Hill, or Plano, Texas, to sit down with one of our spine health experts.
